Detroit has four pitchers who could potentially get a Game 1 assignment for a lot of playoff teams and the Tigers just announced their postseason rotation with Max Scherzer getting the first assignment.

Scherzer will start Game 1 against the A’s, followed by Justin Verlander in Game 2, Anibal Sanchez in Game 3, and Doug Fister in Game 4. You know it’s a good rotation when last year’s Cy Young runner-up is starting Game 2 and this year’s ERA leader is starting Game 3.

Rick Porcello, who was more or less a league-average pitcher this season as the Tigers’ fifth starter, will work strictly out of the bullpen in the playoffs and if the series with Oakland goes the maximum five games Scherzer will take the mound twice.

The A’s took three out of four, losing the fourth game because Balfour blew up. A’s outscored the Tigers 34-20. Tiger starters gave up 22 of those runs, 19 earned.

Past performance is no guarantee of future success, but I think an awful lot of people are looking past this A’s team and focusing on the Tiger rotation. If the Tigers get past the ALDS, I like their chances with that rotation, but they have to beat the A’s first, and I don’t think that’s a forgone conclusion.

And, he left off the series in April when the Tigers took 2 of 3 (7-3, 10-1). It’s a good match-up for the ALDS and I don’t know where he gets anyone discounting the A’s. Maybe he’s got a chip on his shoulder?

papacrick - Oct 1, 2013 at 4:10 PM

I’m a diehard Tiger fan and I can assure you nobody is looking past the A’s. I was at the last series and have no faith that we can even win one game in this series and I know a lot of other fans who feel the same way. Most have already jumped on the Lions bandwagon for now. Both teams are much different than last years that met in the ALDS

All that pitching plus the staunchly, almost angrily supported, MVP and MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera. I think it would be very unseemly to lose to a team that plays their home games in an oversized Andy Gump. No pressure.

Head to Head:
Det 3- Oak 4 with 40-42 run comparison.
(one game was rain shortened)

Stats:
Det:
Runs: 2nd
BA: 1st
OBP: 2nd
ERA: 9th

Oak:
Runs: 4th
BA: 14th
OBP: 8th
ERA: 8th

Head to head Oakland only has a 1 game edge, plus the fact a game ended early. Runs only by 2. And even that’s a little inflated considering how the 14 run game was pretty much a stat boost after Det stopped trying.

Oakland gets to face two legit Cy Young candidates, a Cy Young/AL MVP winner in 3 games. Plus, Detroit has 2 guys in the bullpen which both could be at least day 2 or 3 starters on several teams.

Numbers never lie, and Detroit has the edge.

Nobody is looking past the A’s, but nobody is thinking the series is already over. Far from it.